You Don't Belong Here
by ScorinVoidseeker
Summary: A SI adventure (what I'm new. Don't judge me). Involving an ex-realm hopping OC, divergence from the "normal" path, and secrets that maybe a certain cosplaying history enthusiast may know. Expect different pairings and some out of canon events.
1. Unexpected Interferences

**Disclaimer: all the Burning badges (fire emblem) belong to Nintendo**

* * *

"Perhaps, it was not the better choice to back the rebels when their goal was to topple the magically powered regime when you were also a highly capable mage," The echo addressed me

"…" I Don't even bother addressing the echo, since I know by now the echo is just attempting to teach me a lesson I already learned. Although, a guillotine is a surefire way to take a load off my shoulders.

"You really shouldn't put so much trust in people," the echo said from another… direction or something.

No point in listening just got to see if I can find another strand out of this void before I get stuck with wherever he slash she slash it decides to send me somewhere worse.

"If you just followed the rules things would turn out better for you," echo rambles on while collecting some energy in a form imitating my own.

The form copies my features from my straight dark brownish hair, to my scraggly red and blonde peppered beard. I hate those gray eyes the form makes. The pupil and iris are entirely gray which has disturbed both me and the people I had met in my journeys. I have been in this loop for so long I can't honestly say that is what my eyes originally looked like, but I swear they weren't like that before… before. Nevermind.

"This is new," I say in surprise at a new feature forming on the echo's face. A glowing gray mark with a gray dot encompassing where my right eye would be instead of just the iris and pupil. A half circle curves around my eye at a slant. The rim of the circle has three upside down triangles pointed away from the circle, one towards the ear one at a diagonal and the last straight down. Each has a circle in the middle of a triangle.

"Like the new look?" the echo asks with a smirk as it sees me observing the change.

"Isosceles all the way," I reply.

The echo pouts, a weird look on my face the way the echo does it. "Aww I expected more of a reaction to that." The form quickly perks up and leans towards me, "Good thing though since this is what you will look like in the new world."

Panic fills me as I try to reach out with my energy to try to find any connection to a world besides where the echo plans to send me.

"I am guessing that I will have some choice in how I look and what I can do in the new world," I idly comment on noticing the echo was just wearing the one-piece gray uniform it wears on the rare occasion I am given a choice.

"Eh," the echo shrugs, "not like the two of us have a choice in the matter. Honestly if I am lucky I get to go with you this time to give you insomnia."

Crud.

I remember back two lives ago where I was setup as an insane inmate and whoever was in charge sent the echo with me. The echo proceeded to recite the entirety of a saga called Sunrise. I wouldn't have minded the distraction of a story in that human rights violation of a medical facility, if the echo restrained from reciting while I was both trying to asleep and was asleep. I may actually be completely insane now, but I doubt any inhabitants of the realm I visit would notice. At least I took down the worldshifter manufacturing facility and that psychotic doctor.

"I love it when you're traumatized," the echo interrupts my trip down memory lane, "It makes my job so much easier when you forget to try and escape."

Oh, crud! Crud! Crud! Crud! Crud! I forgot to keep looking for a connection!

"Look all you do by escaping is endanger countless people and worlds," the echo attempted to display sympathy, "face it we are stuck in this loop and the best thing we… Oh! Time to go!" the echo jerks into a standing position, which is strange in a void with no up or down, as multi-colored energy surrounds the two of us. "Anyways this world is called uhhhh… nevermind the nation is a place called…" the echo adopts a confused look, "Wait this isn't right where is my information I can't send him in without any!"

What is going on? The echo never, ever, freaks out. I am starting to get concerned as the energy surrounding us turns a darkish purple. One thing I know in my experience with dark energy types is that if you don't know what it does you better hope you at least get out alive.

"NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO" the echo's form starts curving and spiking and quickly changes into a smaller figure that I don't have a chance to examine before letting out a essencecurdling shriek. As soon as the sound leaves the echo's mouth he slash… Oh nevermind! It instantly turns into a burst of energy and zooms out into the distant void.

The dark energy still surrounds me. Leaving me to wonder if the only thing it was supposed to do was get rid of the echo.

"Should I thank you purple… wispy… thing?" I force out as the energy shrinks around me.

Nothing happened for some amount of time besides the odd grazing of energy when it got to close. I did not know what to expect until I noticed something. I was trying to think of some other things like this energy I came across when my thoughts started to blur and when I tried to bring up a memory I could only mentally visualize a blank. I was in the middle of panicking until I remembered that there was nothing I could do to stop it anyways.

"I don't know why you're going easy on my head, but let's save some time and get it over with."

As soon as the words left my mouth the energy stopped swirling. The energy quickly closed on… PAIN! TOO MUCH! NO! WAIT I CAN'T! STOP YOU!

* * *

"Pah! a pitiful fight," the bandit mercenary spits on the corpse of his nearby Ylissean counterpart.

The merchant and his family cower near the overturned cart while the few bandits rummaged in the packages scattered across the road. One finds a package full of some clothes. He pulls out a light blue dress with a white lace collar some sewn designs around the hem.

"Oy boss don't you think Marcie would look good in this," the fighter holds it up to his body and twirls around gaining snickers from the archer who just found a purse of gold among some rags in the wagon.

The mercenary ignores the man and walks up to the merchant and his wife and daughter. The girl shrinks into her mother's side as the man begins to standup between the bandit and his family but is promptly knocked to the ground with the hilt of the mercenary's sword.

"I have to give you some credit Ylissean dog," the bandit addresses the grounded merchant, "Not many of Ylisse's merchants still employ these many mercenaries." He gestures to the five corpses strewn about the campsite, one getting charred by the nearby campfire.

"We still killed one of yours," the merchant comments on the bandit mage before getting several swift kicks to the stomach leaving the man curled on the ground in pain.

The mercenary composes himself ignoring the crying of the merchant's wife and daughter.

"All right, Jaker! Leon! Get rid of the rest of this scum and we will meet up with the others," the leader addressed his two companions.

Wait one companion? The mercenary looks to where the archer was standing but sees only a small green purse with gold pieces scattered on the ground. He readies his blade and begins to approach the front of the wagon when the Yllissean wench cries out against the mother's protests. He jerks his head towards the family and notices blood dripped onto the girl's brown tunic. He follows the trail up the bottom of the wagon to a bloodied gray claw gripping the wagon's side. A quick look above that and he saw a gray-haired… thing with a gray mark over its eye and pointed ears. He almost dropped his sword as the creature growled and lunged at him.

He never had a chance raise his sword against the threat as the monster's claws raked his chest and ravaged his sword arm. The mercenary's last breath was just leaving his body as the beast turned around towards the merchant family. It just registered the shock and terror in the merchant and his wife's eyes and the fear and awe in their daughters when it quickly lost interest looked towards the remaining fighter.

Being the sane man that he was, the fighter dropped the dress and started to back away from the creature that slaughtered his leader, and likely his friend, in a matter of seconds. As soon as the creature uttered a growl at him baring its inhumanly pointy teeth he turned and lunged for his axe. The creature was already on his back clawing away, but the man swung his axe around and the copper blade lodged in its side. He tried to pull the axe away, but he was forced onto the ground and his uncovered torso proved to be easier cut than the clothed mercenary and archer's. After the fighter expired the creature still proceeded to tear into the corpse in fury from its wound before it finally managed to calm down.

As the creature stood up the family watched as its bloodied claws gave off a wavy effect and gray scales gave way to soft slightly tanned flesh. When it turned around the merchant finally noticed the beige ragged shirts and pants it wore and realized he may be able to capitalize on this creature if it could be civilized, while the girl noticed that a young man only two years her senior took out three men that five caravan guards could barely take out, while this all went unnoticed to the wife who passed out like a reasonable person would.

Although, the family was thinking through all this the boy-creature-thing seemed to have calmed down and was surveying his surroundings. He noticed the mangled corpse of the mercenary and fighter near him and put his hand to his mouth in shock. Notably, his still bloody hand. When the boy slowly removed his hand and noticed the red liquid on his hands and the processed the fact that said liquid was now covering his mouth he looked from his hands to the family back to his hands. Without a sound his eyelids twitched, and he collapsed to the ground.

The merchant family looked at the collapsed boy in front of them for a minute.

"We're keeping him," the girl promptly said.

The father was in too much pain and was too tired to argue so he pushed the wagon upright with his daughter's help and loaded the boy into the back. He sent his daughter out to fetch the horses while he and the recently awoke mother collected their wares and discussed what to do with their new traveling companion.

 **Void Notes**

 **It appears that this first chapter has been submitted. Amusing... I am not quite sure what powers my little monster will start to exhibit but a possible hint may be his scaly nature and his strange drive to kill the bandits. i leave assumptions up to you. Perhaps I may be interested in giving him access to other gifts, but very few indeed after all. I AM NOT THE ONE WHO BROUGHT HIM HERE.**

 **Author Notes**

 **Howdy! Scorin here! I sure hope you had had a fun time reading this chapter as I had in writing it. In all honesty I have no idea how my fic will turn out since I am mostly writing this for fun and I prefer to be a bit reactionary in my writing. I do have a basic idea for secrets and reveals but I don't like to restrict my ideas especially when I may come up with something that fits the story better.**

 **I do plan on setting up a poll to help prevent my SI from becoming to Gary Stu so I hope that gets visited.**

 **Next chapter may come out soon if I get around to it and well it is not going to be what you expect.**


	2. Bound by Law

**Well this is a surprise. Never expected people to be interested in the story when I barely even got into the FE universe yet. So you may be wondering how this is a SI when our little protagonist does not even seem to be from our world {as common with SI's}. Well basic answer... I wasn't really focusing on that. I wanted the protagonist to reflect me so I am trying to write him with some of my quirks, but if I even try to connect him to the "real" me then I may wrap the story around that later.**

 **Anyways next chapter out so yay! I was hoping to get this out TWO DAYS AFTER FIRST POST, but as you can tell that didn't work out because of time restraints and 7k+ words in a chapter that was going to be less than 2k.**

 **On to Reviews.**

 **Bonefish: Noooooo down the chupacabra hole! I actually like the mysterious nature of those kind of creatures which is why you notice my friend being so discreet in first strikes. The actual chupacabra does not attack humans {from what I know} so that makes it just a nuisance which makes it less frightening to me and cooler to me. So much lore possible. However he is not a chupacabra but I bet you can figure out why he transforms if you read closely.**

 **AlexCrowley: Hope you stick around my follower!**

 **CloudSkylark18: Glad you think that. I may get a beta reader and will keep you in mind, but I have the worst memory. Something I and Robin may have in common though his/hers is more extreme.**

 **Kildemonas: Yes the 5+ year late fanboy has done a story on one of his favorite games, and it is SI. Speaking of SI when will your story update? I mean I really liked it even if your partner hated it, and I have been scanning the update list for it for awhile.**

 **Waywatcher: Senpai noticed me! JK. Quite surprised you took notice of the story, but I guess I shouldn't be considering all the reviews and discussions we have had. I will be editing the story some more later but it took me a lot of time just to finish the second chapter. Voidauthor's notes? So you noticed him? Didn't expect he/she/it would be drawing notice already. I wonder if Void knows what will happen because I sure don't.**

 **Shout out to Waywatcher's _The Robin Variable_ which some of my ideas were published using his creative genius. Another to Kildemonas's and Ninni's _New Game Minus_.**

 **Into the breach my friends!**

 **Disclaimer: I not own this Fire Emblem. I is cheapskate and will nots battle giant cor-poral-a-shun. Only thing I own is this fanfiction and mys OCs.**

* * *

 **Poke. Poke. PokePokePokePoke. Pokety Poke. Activity known as slightly prodding an object or individual. Pokers Pokingston the Pokety first… this is useless.**

Do I normally think this weird? I ignore the thoughts as I attempt to regain sleep.

… **3 2 1.**

"Ah!" I scream as my nerves scream in a quick intense pain all over.

"Ah!" a girl standing over me screams and falls backwards over a bag onto the wooden floor.

I stare at the collapsed girl trying to figure out where I am when she props herself up on her hands to look over her knees and the bag. She is wearing a brown tunic and long white skirt along with some rusty metal bangles on her wrists. Most of her olive hair is gathered in a ponytail though it is a mess with strands sticking everywhere.

"Gosh, is this the thanks I get for bringing you new clothes," the girl addressed with a toss of green hair. She tosses a gray tunic and trousers along with some undergarments on the bed I was on and some cloth shoes onto the nearby floor, seeing the gray clothes brings up an irritation in my mind that I ignore. "My father figures the person who saved us should at least wear something representable instead of those rags and go barefoot."

I look down to what I was wearing, torn beige shirt and pants, when she interrupted my inspection with a question.

"So what's your name, Claws?" The girl questioned with a barely contained smile, "My name's Caeda, after the legendary queen." She stands straight with her chin jutting out and hands on her hips like that name means anything.

I roll my eyes at her causing her jaw to drop in shock and her to glare at me when I try to think of answer to her question.

"My name is…" I start when a list of names come to mind without any reasoning behind them. Mark, Jokel, Yel'duz, Hrangle, **Justice** , Kells, Gran, Lintralhim, Draco, Polee, and on the names went none sounding like my name.

I must have had a weird look on my face, since a look of concern crossed the girl's, Caeda's, face.

"None seems to come to mind," I manage to get out causing more concern to cross her face as she began to fidget back and forth fingers tapping each other. "What was that name you called me anyways?" I attempted a distraction from the issue.

She perks back up with an awestruck look plastering her face as she excitedly forces out an answer, "Oh that's because of the claws you had when you attacked the bandits. I mean it was sooo freaky looking but when you pounced on that mercenary before he could pull his sword was amazing. Then you killed the man who was dirtying the dress father gotme andI thinkyou alsogotthatonearcher sincehedissappearedandyouweresoheroicImeanIcouldhavediedifyoudidn'tshowupsomeanddaandmaoweyouourlives," her speech got faster and faster as she got more and more excited from recounting the heroic tale of her rescue by the dark hero before her.

"Wait I killed people with my… claws?" I mumble out the question as for some reason panic grips my chest.

Caeda notices my near panic and sits on the bed close to me. She puts her hand on my shoulder and I immediately flinch from the contact. I don't like contact that much I manage to remember.

"It's okay, I mean if you didn't uhhh dispatch those bandits," she carefully rephrased while resting her hands in her lap and avoiding looking at my panicked rocking, "I wouldn't be here to have this discussion with you."

 **An altered fate for better or worse.**

I don't know where this confusing thought came from, but I manage to calm down with her words.

"That's better," Caeda manages a smile. She reluctantly gets up to leave the room picking up the bag she fell over, which was full of some brown clay jars with cork stoppers in the end, "We can talk more about what happened later. My father is downstairs selling some of the bandit's equipment and deciding whom to send the mercenaries belongings. I bet he may be willing to hire you to protect our wares if you are interested."

She frowns at a thought. "Well I don't know what he is planning, but you don't have to worry about anything with me to help ya!" she exclaims with pep as she leans backward and flourishes her hands at herself. "When you're changed meet us downstairs." With a twirl she lifts the bag onto her shoulder and turns to leave the room.

I hesitate to ask, but I may as well, "I understand you may be in a hurry, but you didn't need to wake me up that way."

She gives a slight turn with a look of confusion, "Uh, okay then? I mean I didn't even touch you but I guess I will remember not to wake you up in the future if you react that way."

The door knocks against the frame as I am left in room with the new set of clothes. Processing her reply I change into the annoyingly colored vestments. I notice a broken mirror propped on the wall so I go to inspect myself in one of the larger shards. I couldn't get much of angle from the shard so against sound judgement I remove the shard from its frame to get a better look at myself.

Why am I so gray! I am instantly annoyed at my look. Along with the gray clothes I have smooth gray hair and a gray mark around my eye. I rub my chin expecting something to be there, but I can't recall what. Maybe a scar? Anyways I angle the shard and notice abnormally long and pointed ears. They angle upwards when shock runs through me but relax quickly.

"Honestly wasn't expecting to look like this," I mumble.

You expected to look differently than what you are? I chuckle at the thought. I don't know why gray irritates me when I think I look rather impressive with my all gray attire, hair and mark.

I finally take in the room I found myself inside. It's a plain room with a dresser opposing the wooden door with two of three drawers missing. Besides the dresser is the bed I used. It was a lumpy mattress with feathers that were mostly stems sticking out of ripped seams. The only other things in the room where my cast-off rags and soiled underthings and the mirror whose shard I was borrowing. With nothing else to do I attempted to replace the shard causing it and more pieces to fall to the decaying wood floor and shatter and collected my rags before leaving the room. Time to find some answers on where and what I am.

* * *

Downstairs

I make my way down the uneven stairs where a red-haired man in purple and blue robes is talking to a brunette man in a white shirt and brown apron, who is cleaning the inside of a tankard with the inside of his shirt's lower rim. Does not seem sanitary to me, but an instinct inside me says to not bother the man on this. Perhaps I made the mistake of doing something similar in the past. A few memories emerge in my head of unconscious rat-like people and another of disheveled men in shiny black jackets. The sudden onset of memories causes me to trip over my feet and fall down the last eight steps in a roll. My back lays against the wall with my head between my legs. I noticed the men at the bar looking towards me, so I flip to my side clutching my bruises and stand.

Ignoring the embarrassing display, the robed man waves me over to the… bar, if the near rotten piece of bark could be called that. I take one of the seats less likely to break, while the redhead gestures the bartender away and he fixes his eyes on me in a hard stare with a slightly intimidating smile on his face.

"I have to say," he begins, "I and my family owe you quite a lot for your aid."

I ready myself for a similar spiel that Caeda gave when he surprises me by sliding a paper with writing on it towards me.

"So that is why I am going to let you in on a deal and sign up to guard me, my family and my wares."

Wait… what just happened.

"Come now boy," he continues with the smile becoming softer yet even more intimidating, "A man with your skills, would be a fool to waste your skills at… dismantling unsavory individuals. I can ensure you have decent housing and food, which you obviously were lacking before I came around. All you have to do is sign yourself into my service, and I can guarantee your life will improve."

I stare at him with a confused look as he mentions skills, but I remember back to what the girl said I did earlier. Before he even finishes naming his terms I realize he is wanting me to possibly kill people, the… the… same way I did before. I hope my face is remaining calm as currently I can not help panicking from the suggestion and the fact that I have no idea why or how the killing happened.

"Sir," I interrupt his sales pitch, "I have no idea where I am, who I am, why I can do those terrifying things, so I really can't deal with whatever crazy plan you have right now."

The man's eyes widen at the statement then narrow as he examines me. The situation makes me feel nervous but I seem to be handling it well. As quickly as his strict gaze formed on his face, he flashes a genuine smile and starts rubbing his chin with his right hand.

"Well then this is exactly what you need my friend," I jolt at the statement, "After all us merchants are quite knowledgeable on all manner of subjects. If you truly don't remember perhaps on our travels we may find some answers."

He does not give up does he? "Look I remember some things," I stammer out, "they just… are unrelated to everything and I have too many… false memories I guess?"

"That does not matter much in business and if I can't convince you how business will help you solve those problems, maybe I can help you remember that money is what matters in this world." At the end of his statement the redhead adopts a look of manic glee before going to normal and continuing the conversation, "Anyways if you can't 'remember' exactly you still need a name so I will tell you what. I will give you a name for no charge."

I start to protest when he slams his right palm against he bar, causing another crack.

"You shall henceforth be called… Claudius!" he announces, "and I Anders will be the night terror's manager."

"Wait manager?" I think for a moment to me and his daughter's conversation, "Wait is that name supposed to be a…"

"Did I say manager?" the redhead adopts a confused look, "I meant employer, the two are quite similar aren't they."

I am getting very annoyed at this conversation when Anders decides to use this to his advantage. "Look the best chance for either of us to survive in this cruel world is if we team up. Just sign the contract and everything will be set."

He must have found the right buttons to press because I was ready to sign that paper when two things came to mind as I scanned the paper. One for some reason I can't read any of this and two I don't know how to write in the same way as what is on the document.

At the irritated confused look on my face and my hesitation to sign Anders comes to my aid. "It appears in my haste I forgot that most are unlearned in the written word. No matter, you only need to know that if you sign the contract you are in service to the bearer of the contract for the next 6 months. To sign just place a significant mark on the empty line. How about that sign on your eye?"

I remember back to symbol I saw in the mirror and I hesitantly ink the mark onto the paper with the red feathered quill he gave me. After signing he slides the paper towards the bartender who just appeared and who makes his own mark on another empty line.

"All legal documents need witnesses my friend," the merchant says as he tucks the rolled paper into his robes revealing a seemingly familiar orb before the robe wraps back over the two objects.

"A shot of your cheapest strong ale bartender," Anders shouts at the man who is standing right in front of him.

The brunette flinches and rubs a finger in his ear before reaching under the bar to retrieve two small wooden cups and a rather stained clay jug. He pours out a murky liquid into the cups. Anders grabs the nearest cup and lifts it to me. I repeat the motion with some disgust at the viscous liquid's lack of movement. The merchant quickly jerks the cup towards him and swallows the offensive liquid. With a slow hesitation I do the same as I feel the slimy substance slowly move down my throat. With surprise that it was not as horrible as I expected in taste or my stomach I beam a weak smile at Anders.

 **Foul Liquid!**

With a sudden pain I am on the floor retching up the meager contents of my stomach. I look up to see the bartender had ducked below the bar, while Anders had a surprised look with a smile tugging the corners of his mouth.

I look to my hands and I noticed wood shards from the cup in my right and hand and some pieces of different colored wood in my left hand and more on the floor. I look to my side to see a sizable chunk of wood missing from the bar where my left hand was resting.

"I will take all of that sample, and here is some gold pieces for the damages," Anders dropped said pieces on the counter and grabbed the jug. He extends his hand towards me, "I think my family should meet their new bodyguard now."

I grab his hand to pull myself and feel another wave of nausea hit me before I manage to stifle it.

"Try not the puke on the clothes Claudius. They were the cheapest I could find."

With unsteady legs, I am led by my new… employer out the inn.

* * *

Marketplace

We walk out the inn and I walk near several large stalls setup in a cobblestoned plaza. A wagon is setup next to a stall where Caeda and a green haired woman are selling some gear and small clay jars full of a liquid. I notice some of the weapons and armor are stained with substantial amounts of reddish brown. Of course, being merchants the two played it to their advantage saying how the tools clearly were battle tested. However, villagers have no need for weapons, so the results were as expected. My focus trails taking in the other sights of the town. Besides the plaza there is little else except for the few bridges and the main river and canals. A large building catches my eye and I can tell that it is likely the town's center of affairs, what a wordy thought. Caeda spots me and her father and wave us over to the cart.

"About time you finished, these villagers don't know a decent vulnerary if it saved their life," she shoots an angry look at a nearby villager who had smelled a sample potion and had a queasy look on his face.

"Let your father handle this," Anders stretches his hands and pops his knuckles before walking over to the sickened villager, "I will be back after dealing with this fine man and talking to the elders."

"So how did it go," the girl walks over to me, "Did daddy have you sign over your soul?"

"Wait that was in the contract!" I yell at her causing her to stumble backwards on her skirt nearly falling over.

"Naga's name!" she shouts back after getting her bearings, "Of course not why would it… oh. Uh…" She fidgets in place head down. Her hand moves up without paying attention but she catches it before responding. "Sorry I should have realized you probably can't read. I won't do something like that to you again."

Crud I feel bad now.

She perks up with a smile, "Hey, maybe I can teach you how to read, and in return you can tell me more about yourself."

This catches me by surprise. "I guess, but I don't remember what's real or not. I mean I am pretty sure rat people don't exist and metal tubes don't send small metal pieces flying at high speeds."

Instead of looking at me as if I was insane, she gets more excited. "Oh, Claws! This could be a fun game. I mean the tube thing is unbelievable, but the rat guys may be taguel!" Her excitement is slightly unnerving, although refreshing that I am not treated as a tool or mad.

"According to your father my name is now Claudius, but I thank you for deciding to help me," I say with sincerity. I doubt I will regret agreeing to this contract.

"Well now that it seems your discussion is over, I believe your father plans to attempt to warn the mayor one last time so we should pack up our wares before he returns," the woman, whom I believe is Caeda's mother and Anders's wife, addresses the two of us. As Caeda moves to load her samples in some boxes in sacks the greenette… Olivette? Anyways the woman turns to me with a dark look in her emerald eyes. "My name is Maydis and that will be the last name on your mind if you lay a single scale on my daughter, beast," she whispers to me as I step back only for her to step forward. "Do I make myself clear lizard?"

I decide that I have had enough discussion today so instead of wording a reply and earning her ire, I nervously nod and dive into the work of loading the remaining jars, Caeda says they are vulneraries to heal wounds and sicknesses, and the remaining equipment the merchant's scavenged. I handle one bloodied axe that gives me a sense of unease, but I quickly toss it among the other weapons to Caeda's cry of not damaging her medical supplies.

After what I assume to be a segment or an hour, I still wasn't sure which was right, Anders arrives in a foul mood.

"Those cocky fools honestly think Ylisstol can afford to send out a contingent to protect them from these bandits. As if they even have the time or resources to waste on a backwater village like Southtown!" Anders rages hunched over with a look in his eyes like he was going to break the nearest object with a small purse he is swinging around, probably from the villager. "The dastards even had the audacity to accuse me of warmongering to boost my sales!"

"Language," I cough out receiving a look from the man who seems to have found his source of stress relief. I am saved by his balled fists by the least likely source.

"But you were trying to get the elders to purchase the weapons and armor weren't you dear?" Maydis saves my skin but I doubt for my safety, most likely for Anders if the horror story Caeda told me means anything.

Anders head decides to assume a color a singular color which I found adorable on a thirty or forty-year-old man. Guess the magic is still there.

"Of course," he stammers out his face getting darker than his hair, "It would be rude of me to fail to offer my wares when they will be needing them in the near future."

"Ha!" the lady laughs, "Anders my love I don't know if you have realized this yet but you don't seem to have inherited most of the negotiating skill in the family."

The merchant grunts and gestures to the wagon brushing past me and his wife only to sneak a kiss on her cheek as he passes causing a blush on the woman who will probably make my life miserable. Caeda giggles as her father climbs into the driver's seat after hooking the horses to the wagon. She takes her place next to her father while Maydis climbs into the back. Since there was little room among the wares I was forced to sit next to the woman and near the back opening of the wagon.

Contract or no contract if she pushes me out of the wagon I am leaving. At the thought my head feels as if it is being crushed in giant's head. I curl up with my head between my knees gaining a suspicious look from my companion. I recover quickly as the pain subsides. I didn't plan on breaking the contract but if there is a remote chance of that pressure returning I won't even entertain the thought.

As the wagon rolls out of the small town I decide to ask my hostile… I guess mistress since she and he are married, about what happened in town.

She fixes a look at me as if I was mad or… Oh, it must be related to what I did last night.

"During that ambush four nights ago," okay apparently my rest was a lot worse for me than I thought, "the bandits were discussing a main force they were going to report back to. So, after your bloody slaughter," I flinch at her glare, "my husband decided to hurry to town to try and warn the people off a possible bandit clan that may attack soon."

She snorts in derision, "However, the idiots think that Exalt Emmeryn will send out a hundred soldiers to defend them or that ragtag group of 'heroes' the prince leads will singlehandedly wipe out the bandits."

I note this information for later, and decide to ask some more questions. The conversation goes back and forth rather amicably with a little hostility from the woman. I found out that this land is called Ylisse and the bandits were from a land called Plegia who were still in a state of peril from a previous war the previous Exalt instigated. While Maydis had nothing but loathing for the cruel bandits, she understood why they felt driven to exact revenge on the Ylisseans for the past slaughter and the uncountable deaths from the loss of fertile farmland that preceded from after the war to even now. However, the current Exalt, Lady Emmeryn, stopped the war and attempted to repair relations between the countries after the mysterious deaths of her father and mother. Apparently Anders and his family were planning to travel to Ylisse and try to deliver a warning to the officials before the runner the elders sent. The merchant argued that he was hoping for a reward, but even I realized that the messenger on foot would likely get there much later even if they had sent him out before we left. The discussion went on for a couple more minutes but soon faded. We had been traveling for about thirty minutes when I noticed a small column of smoke rising from what Maydis had told me was Southtown.

"Is that normal," I question the family as they turn around and quickly adopted looks of fear at the sight.

"By Naga!" Caeda shouts, "the town is burning!"

Anders whips the reigns on the two horses spurring their speed. "I knew the bandits would attack soon! I just can't believe those dastards are braving it now!"

A crawling feeling creeps up my spine.

"So, we are just going to leave the same town who has no weapons to their fate," I say, no, I growl out.

I do not understand why but the thought starts a smoldering rage in my thoughts almost consuming my reason slowly but with growing speed.

The red head looks over his shoulder to me with a bit of shock when he sees me. I look down and noticed some gray scales forming along my hands and my fingertips sharpening.

"I didn't have you sign the contract just so you can leave my family defenseless!" he manages to shout out as Maydis maneuvers to place her body between me and Caeda.

At his word the rage and transformation cease and subside. I still feel uneasy leaving the people behind but the uncontrollable urge is at least gone.

"But what about all the innocent villagers?" Caeda looks towards her father pleading with him."

"I warned them and offered them weapons!" Anders shouts at his daughter causing her to shrink away near the edge, "I will not risk my family for fools who rejected the little help I can offer."

Caeda looks away from her father. From this angle I can see tears falling down the right side of her face.

"If Claudius is going to pull his weight then why don't we send him to stall the bandits?"

The three of us face Maydis as she speaks.

"If he stops them then we save lives. If he doesn't then at least there will be less able warriors to chase us." I bet if I die and do not return she would be just as happy.

The feeling returns and builds up putting a false pressure at the base of my neck causing me to fidget in place. Anders sees me sitting on the edge of the wagon moving my jaw back and forth before I stop because my now sharp teeth cut into my tongue.

"Fine!" He rages. "Go help them and you better come back safe," He commands, "I will be hiding in the nearby fortresses once it reaches nightfall, and you better return by then!"

He turns and spurs the now still horses as I abruptly jump out of the cart at a run in the direction of the smoke-filled sky.

"You better come back Claws," Caeda whispers towards the gray figure running away from the wagon.

* * *

Southtown

I enter past the rubble of the gates. I expected the rage to send me into a fury running into the square, but for some reason the instinct sends me slinking among the back alleys tracking some of the bandits down. I see one axe-wielder having cornered a maiden forcing the woman onto the ground. Before the man could do anything I pull him away onto the ground and grasp his throat. My hand pulls way claws bloodied, but I run onwards past the crying maiden looking for my next victim. I find a female mercenary walking out of a house her sword freshly bloodied. I tackle her before surprise finished crossing her face. Now both my hands match. Again, I run away from the gurgling bandit to prevent myself from being caught red-handed. Why… why did I think of that now. I reach a back alley next to the inn of the town square, the same one I slept in.

Hearing a racket I briefly run into the square and slink into the bar with my body low to the ground and on all fours. I spy the innkeeper dodging the blades of a dual-wielding bandit and the lunges of a lance wielding one. The man is wielding a mace but does not have the room or reach to go on the offensive. The lancer keeps his distance from the bartender but leaves him open to me. I lurch toward him swinging my leg out and knocking the man over. Before I could shred the man my claws get stuck in his armor as he rolls out of the way. Unfortunately, the roll pulls me onto him and I proceed to claw at the bandit's armored back regardless of the protection the plating affords him. An arm pulls me away from my foe and tosses me aside.

I make ready to block the new enemy's attack with a scaled arm between me and my assailant, only to see the bartender raising his bloodied mace up and proceeds to bludgeon the armored bandit repeatedly in the chest. In the end the marauder is left coughing on blood with his breastplate shattered and restricting movement. I look around and notice the sword-wielding bandit slumped against the bar with blood and something else leaking out dent in his skull.

I guess I was right to not antagonize the man.

The innkeeper turns toward me with his spiked mace on his shoulder. I let my guard down as the man lowers the mace to his side and walks towards his bar. He pours a drink into an engraved tankard and taking a swig of the liquid.

"You better get out there before the bandits get bolder," he states as if the whole scenario is commonplace.

I scowl at him before a shriek cries from outside the establishment. As I turn towards the sound spreading my claws, I see the man smirk in the corner of my eye.

Regardless I race towards the doorway and leap out the door towards the next bandit. Of course, since I was indoors, and I just rushed outdoors I was half-blind and barely grazed the man as he lifted his axe to strike down the blonde girl. I roll several times before righting myself scrabbling at the stone beneath me to get up.

Too slow. The man swings his axe at me putting me on the defensive. Another swipe and the axe caught my left hand. The blade chips along the impact area while my fingers are left intact, but my fingers feel shattered leaving an echoing pain in my skull. I dodge backwards again barely backing out of his range. I have no idea how to fight this bandit one on one, every time I attacked in the past I had the advantage. I attempt a strike after his swing but his shaft blocks my claws before they reach his flesh. A quick choice of impulse and I grasp the axe with my unwounded hand. A poor choice as he jerks the shaft upwards, pulling me into his grasp.

A quick twist and my arms are braced against my body as he gives me a crushing hug. I can't breathe, I can't think, I can only feel my lungs burn from deprived breath. My teeth gnash at the air as I weakly attempt to claw the man, which he responds by head butting me.

A manic thought rushes through my head and I sink my now sharpened fore teeth into his shoulder. I rip a chunk of flesh out as he instinctively releases me to care for the gaping wound on his right shoulder blade. A quick lunge and my claws pierce his chest silencing the man's cries.

With this pause in action I have time to assess wounds.

 **Spit it out!**

Oh why… I spit out the offending object and proceed to vomit up the little stomach contents I had collected on my wagon ride. Seriously again? Guess my ability to detach from the killing is over.

"Why did I even bite the marauder?" I mumble out as I grasp my wounded claw, having reverted to my regular hand, to my chest.

"I can fix this!" the blonde shouts out as she runs to my side wielding a sphere topped staff.

She kneels next to me with the orb glowing as an uncomfortable feeling crawls along my skin and pain increases in my wounded hand and I feel if my very bones are cracking. I groan in pain eliciting a cry of concern from the blonde girl.

While I am trying to deal with this pain, I take a closer look of the woman attempting to care for my wounds. She can't be much older than Caeda, although I do not know what my friend's age is. Her blonde hair is tied up in messy pigtails set in a strange white or button lace headdress. Her dress a brown corset around a yellow dress with a white lace apron at the front. Through some slits I notice some metal rods and white. Judging by how the skirt is a bit lifted behind her as she kneels in front of me it probably goes throughout the whole dress as a sort of battle cage. Apparently, she is smarter than I, when it comes to armor.

"Why isn't it working!" she cries as she lights up the orb again causing me more pain and slits to open up and bleed at my wound.

"Could you please stop doing that!" I grunt out.

"I'm soooo sorry if I was more useful and did what Robin said I wouldn't have gotten myself in danger and you wouldn't be in pain and…" she cries before after the seventh attempt the pain subsides and a warm feeling crawls along the injury along with a fuzzy sensation.

The blood stops flowing from the wound, and the shattered feeling in my joints ease. Skin knits the wound together and the blood ceases to flow. After the pinprick feeling passes I flex my fingers to test movement.

I start to get up as the blonde pushes me back down using my shoulders to pick herself up.

"Whoa you aren't going anywhere til I make sure you are alright!" She grabs my hand and start to check it over for more wounds.

"Milady what are you doing away from milord Chrom?" A blue and white armored brown haired knight on a similarly armored horse rides up to the two of us, his lance at the ready still dripping with blood of some unfortunate bandits.

"Frederick, this villager attacked a bandit who snuck behind us during the fight," The blonde replies avoiding the question. She releases my hand and points her staff towards the bandit's body. "He took out the bandit with his claws. If he didn't I would have been this jerk's next victim"

"I… see," the knight's stony face gets harsher as he examines the hole in the corpse and my gore covered hand, "Regardless I must maintain that you keep your distance from milady until I am sure of your intentions towards her and milord."

"What!" the girl shrieks, "But he saved my life! Why do you have to be such a worrywart!"

"I am fine with the distance if she doesn't torture me with her staff again," I add my thoughts to the conversation. I notice a cloaked and a blue haired figure fighting bandits. I can't tell much about the cloaked figure but the blue swordsman wears an all blue outfit with a torn sleeve on his right arm and a silver pauldron on the other. Knee-high blue boots complete the attire with a torn white cloak trailing behind him. "Besides I must rid the world of the rest of these murderers." My hand changes back into a claw as the fighting focus, better name later, sets in.

"Whoa!" the blonde exclaims at the minor transformation, "You're not going to do the other hand?"

What does she mean? I look at my left hand only to see scales forming from my elbow halfway to the wrist before becoming randomly set in the skin.

"Great."

The woman begins to lift her staff towards me.

"Oh no!" I shout at her, hiding the affected arm behind me, "You have done enough!"

She pouts crossing her arm. I ignore the spoiled sight, kind of adorable even if she isn't a kid. Wait, is she?

I direct my attention to the grouping of criminals gathering across a bridge in front of a burning building. I notice one bandit standing out among the group. His face is scarred, and he has a large slash of paint across his stomach. The violent side of me laments that it is only paint and he is not wounded. I noticed his axe is different from some of the other axes with a much shorter blade and shaft he carries several of the weapons in a belt.

I note my target and bolt towards the river across the market. "You better help out those two now," I call back. My companions are left wondering what I am planning as I quickly pass the bodies left behind the two fighters who are attempting to assault the guarded bridge. The cloaked figure trades balls of fire with a robed bandit. I reach the river and a quick dive has me submerged in the bloodied waters.

I never thought I would be glad to have this focus as I swim underneath the surface to the other side. I raise my claw out and gouge a hold into the brick side. I repeat the process scrambling up the side with only my one clawed hand and the holes it left behind to aid me. I reach the top and barely lift myself up with the untransformed hand. I spot the leader, but a nearby bandit proves to tempting for my instinct to ignore.

The criminal dodges back from the blue warrior's strange blade and a sword wielding bandit takes his place. He had the misfortune of backing towards me and from my crouched position I swept out his legs and used the subsequent piercing to lift myself up. The front row fighters are unaware of their fallen comrade leaving me to start an attack on them. However, I suffered from the same misfortune as my victim and walk into the view of the fireballer who prepares his magic. I raise my right hand to block the incoming fire ball hoping it provides the same protection as with the axe. Lines form around him and the fire releases towards me lighting my arm on fire.

"GRAAAAAAAGHHH!" I scream as the immeasurable pain attacks my senses. Good news the bandits are distracted from the two fighters by my scream. Bad news, Pain so much pain! It felt like an eternity before I remembered water quenches flame. I bowl past the swordsman pushing him into the bluenette who dispatches the man.

I blindly dive into the waters. It still burns. I stay submerged longer and still it burns. Before I ran out of air the flame flickers away leaving reddened tissue that is not scarred but in much pain. I ignore the absurdity and rise to the surface.

 **Magic is death.**

I agree with the thought as i breach the murky surface. The clash of battle seems to have quietened as I slowly swim across the polluted surface. Before I get swept down river in my weakened state a lance is lowered towards me. I lunge for the lifeline and grasp it with my left hand as I attempt to wrap my arm around it. After some effort the lance retracts with me along with it. As I reach the level of the marketplace I lurch forward and roll onto the stone and lay there.

"You shouldn't leave your cleric behind if you plan on doing stupid stuff all the time!" a familiar voice greets me as a prickly sensation crawls over my burnt arm.

"Perhaps you could learn to show the same level of intelligence as an amnesiac if you weren't so foolhardly," another, more annoying voice, chimes in.

"You mean I could have had a better idea than attacking the enemy from behind?" I growl at Frederick, "Maybe assaulting the enemy from the front when they have a fortified position?"

I know I wasn't considering that in my focused state, but the comment influences the dismounted knight, namely lowering his lance towards my chest. "I will never allow a lowborn fool as yourself to disrespect milord Chrom!"

The girl knocks the lance away from my chest with her staff. I look across the bridge to see the cloaked figure and blue swordsman discussing with the villagers. The fallen leader lays at their feet burns across his body, eliciting a feeling of respect in me towards the two and annoyance at myself for not finishing the cruel man myself. The swordsman seems to be comforting some of the distraught victims while the cloaked figure is ordering some of the villagers around who begin the move the bandit's bodies and run out into the town towards other fires. The cloaked one must be Frederick's lord. I have to admit the man was a capable warrior and leader from what I have seen so I decide to apologize to the knight.

"I have to admit that my words were hastily spoken, and I should not have spoken ill of someone who was capable of fighting off the bulk of the bandits in direct combat."

The knight still glares at me but manages a nod.

"Well your arm seems to be healing better than before," the blonde interrupts our staring contest, "I don't know why you were hurt so badly when the mage was pretty weak."

I look at my hand and see the discolored skin seems to have retained its original state, though still sore.

She stands back up from her kneeling position over me and offers her hand. I accept the offer and pull myself up from the ground.

"Thank you for your aid, miss…"

"I'm Lissa," She beams at me and giving a quick hug I try to squirm out of, "the scowler is Frederick, Chrom is my brother and Robin is our tactician."

So the bluenette's name is Robin. I feel an unease come over me and remember what I have to do now.

"I'm sorry but I must get back to my employer," I say causing Lissa's smile to flip, "I barely got permission to come back here and I need to find where he and the others are hiding before I start to feel worse."

"Hiding? Perhaps you would care to tell us who your employer is?" Frederick's frown deepens at his suspicion.

Annoyed after everything I have been through I snap at him, "I have killed a lot of people today! I am tired, I was in a lot of pain and I am this close to getting sick from all the killing!" I may be going mad and this man just keeps irritating me. "Along with that I have a messed-up memory, an uncontrollable urge to kill bandits, and a jerk whose every sentence has only been to annoy me."

The knight actually steps back from the onslaught, both hands gripping the spear.

I set out towards the broken gates walking past the shocked cleric. I make my way past rubble and blood on my journey through the town before exiting the town. I pick up pace as I head out towards the woods trying to find the fortress where Anders, Caeda and the other one went.

* * *

Shepherd's POV

"That takes care of that," Robin said as Lissa and Frederick approached the two.

"Lucky for the town, we were close by. But holy wow, Robin! You were incredible! Swords, sorcery, AND tactics! Is there anything you can't do?" Lissa gushed over her new friend, "With you and… NOOOO!"

Robin and Chrom jolt at Lissa's shout.

"Lissa what's wrong," Chrom questioned his sister worrying something tragic had happened.

"I didn't get his name before Frederick scared him off." Lissa turned her back on the knight and assumed her usual pout.

"Whose name would that be?" Chrom thinks and then remembers the boy who had ambushed the bandits giving he and Robin the chance to push forward. Last he saw the man, his arm was on fire from the mage and he jumped into the river. Robin was quick to break past the bandits and kill the man before he could cast another spell.

"Pardon me milord, but Lissa is referring to the strange individual who had taken down a bandit that accosted her after she ignored the amnesiac's orders," Frederick calmly said though he inwardly raged against the disrespect the stranger had shown, "It is for the best since we should not have more unknown individuals accompanying milord and lady, especially another who also claimed to have memory problems." Frederick makes a point to glare at the tactician who was fidgeting under his glare.

"Frederick," Chrom said with a tinge of disappointment, "Robin has proven to be loyal to Ylisse and her people and if this man who saved my sister and helped us save the town is in trouble we should do what we can to help him."

"So, what do I do now?" the tactician asked.

"Well we will be taking you with us to Ylisstol of course," Chrom states but then notes the worry on the tactician's face, "If you are willing to join the shepherds of course."

Robin is shocked at the statement, "Chrom are you sure you can trust a stranger like me?"

"I know you to be a good person, Robin, and you care deeply for these villagers. Of course I want you to join us!"

The tactician ponders these words before replying, "Very well I will join you."

Chrom laughs and Lissa embraces the tactician. "Yes! Now we have our own tactician!" Lissa shouts as Robin tries to squeeze out of the tight hug."

"And the first thing we should do is return to Ylisstol and report the bandit's attack. We may even come across our mystery warrior on the way."

Lissa begins to argue with her brother over staying the night, while Frederick and Robin are left to ponder their mysterious benefactor. The former about what to do to prevent the disturbing individual from harming his charges and the latter about whether the boy knows about their related memory problems.

Maybe I will find out more about my past and why I called out Chrom's name and someone called Echo.

* * *

 **Void notes:**

 **Well that went better than expected. I didn't expect him to wake up this early, but I was hoping for more of a reaction. Regardless the events are proceeding as predicted except for those lives "Claudius" has saved. If only I knew what he is planning. It would be foolish of me to believe that the fallen ones or the grimleal do not have their own plans. On another note I seem to have gained some attention elsewhere. I should probably avoid him for now.**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **I take back everything I have ever said about Grammar and spelling errors on fanfiction. Having experienced the nuisance that is uploading, I am almost convinced the document glitches and deletes some letters, since there were some obvious mistakes that I missed. That being said if I still have horrible mistakes in the story don't hesitate to tell me.**

 **I bet you thought I was going to skip the chapter {I planned to but I didn't want to abruptly end the chapter or immediately start Chapter 1}**

 **So Claudius has a name! AND PUNS ARE LIFE. Expect more from the merchant family they are quite an important plot point to the story. If you thought I was going to have Claudius wreck the entire bandit team you would be disappointed. The only advantage he has in combat is his speed and ambushes. Kill count this chapter: 3. Total kill count: 7. Not a miscount =)**

 **Poll regarding Claudius has been started on my profile.**

 **On two side notes you may have noticed I didn't mention Robin's gender. Because I have no idea if it is a boy or girl! I mean M!Robin is a go to character for fanfiction and yes he is quite the staple, but on the other hand F!Robin is best for the feels and some of my favorite fanfiction has F!Robin so complex it gives the puppies in my heart a sugar rush at the development. So, I am torn between the Robin I could write and the Robin that I like. Both are great, but which is better for the story is debatable. If I do go F!Robin don't expect Chrobin {though it is still likely} since if you read my profile I like the idea of unusual/uncommon pairings. So its up to you reviewers which Robin I choose {I know what Waywatcher's choice is}**

 **The other note is that magic seems to greatly affect Claudius, yet I have magic as a possible path for him. Well that will be explained later but basically you should know that for now unless he is exposed to it slowly then sudden exposure to a magic type will have devastating effects {Yes it was quite possible Lissa could have killed him by healing}**

 **~Oh yeah now I remember**

 **Claudius Stats**

 **Power(level): 2**

 **Knowledge(Exp): 74**

 **Claudius Supports:**

 **Caeda C**


	3. Darkness Rears, Against Two Fears

**I'm baaaaaack and this time days earlier with a nearly 9k+ chapter. Still don't feel like I do Fire emblem Justiceeeeeeeeeeee (be quiet Arthur).**

 **Current poll is at 1 vote for Lightseeker and 1 vote for Shadewalker... Geez give mundane warrior some love. A bit of a hint of their future uses. Lightseeker will allow for more in-depth interactions (a kind of counselor to the shepherds' worries" and a better counter to the grimleal forces. Shadewalker with be more plot related to the end game story =) no hints from my lips here and will have some better interactions (not as many as Lightseeker) along with exploration skills. Mundane warrior will train Claudius out of the resistance hole he is at the cost of losing some skill in magic, along with training other shepherds and possibly some OCs. One for dialogue, One for plot, One for characters. Or how I kind of imagine it. These paths will not appear til much much later so there is room for growth and I accept PMs on the topic.**

 **Only two reviews =(**

 **Waywatcher: Pretty sure poll is fixed just at the top of the profile. Yes, Claudius is a bit of an idiot but as for me I am pretty gullible and would likely have done the same. Technically not Amnesia. If you check the first chapter you will realize this is not his first time in another world. Just the linearity of the memories have collapsed into one mess. HE ACTUALLY HAS FORGOTTEN SOMETHING, his true past but again that was mentioned in chapter 1 and it is because of all the time he has spent in the void with that blasted echo. Also you're right... not going to tell you which question unless you PM so not to spoil the story. YOU ASK AND YOU SHALL RECIEVE! THE FEM!ROBIN COMETH! what about M!... Be quiet you didn't ask in time!**

 **Kidemonas: yeah that was big PM mess, much like Lucina I have no understanding of sarcasm. Also if my readers are willing to read my junky story you should visit New game minus (which unfortunately has no child units) the two stories are quite interesting and I hope it gets a bigger following since they are focusing on the opposite sides of the war at the same time.**

 **Anyways a bit of a shoutout (shame Scorin Shame!) to AbdallahSmash026, Ninendo brand ambassador on youtube whose video of the fire emblem video footage from chapter 1 let me describe the events of the CG scenes. (too lazy to pickup the game and go through first chapter, maybe next time.) Having citation training, I would feel bad for leaving him out since he is basically the only reason I got this chapter out early so if you feel entitled give him my thanks (I haven't set up my account so I can't comment freely yet.) Sorry for the plug but as you can tell by Claudius class description I am a goody-two shoes.**

 **Three houses... Ahem. AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH**

 **Okay that is done. I love the footage given in the game, but I am bit worried that they are going for a three way fates idea. Don't get me wrong the game is fun. I hope they include a Robin like avatar instead of Corrin all about me. Also lots of supports and child units would be great if they can fit the kids in. If Avatar is included please give the avatarsexuals at least one optional support besides he/she. The squad mechanics will make the game more realistic which I will greatly enjoy. MORE LORE. Lastly. RELEASE. THE. GAME. THIS. YEAR. YOU. ARE. TWO. YEARS. LATE. IF. YOU. DO. 2019**

 **Disclaimer: Not my game, Not my franchise, the only thing Nintendo does not own is this story and if I disappear and they copyright this you know who did it... the OCs... they want better management but I told them no unions allowed.**

* * *

"Why can't I just ignore it all!" I shout as I hurry down the road. Lissa seemed so nice and Frederick was understandably suspicious. I mean I do not even trust myself! Yet, I mistreated the two of them just because I could not handle all the killing I did and I snapped at them. The horrible thing was I felt that I was getting used to it. Before with the merchants I blacked out. After the bar I was just simply disgusted. I brushed off my dance with death and near drowning. My perspective on fighting has started to change. I must not let that happen, I… I may become something else.

 **Keeping morality and fighting… rarely do the two… mix.**

"Shut up!" _Great I am talking to myself now. I just need to know what is happening to me. Where in this blasted country is Anders!_

I approach the woods and took a chance leaving the road to search this area. Tree. Thirty minutes pass. Tree. Time passes. Rock. Root. Tree. Bush with berries. **Poisonous.** Yeah not touching those. Tree. Green haired girl. A tree in a rock. _Where are th… I am an idiot_.

"Caeda!" I shout towards the figure.

She jumps at my sudden appearance, dropping all the sticks she had collected. Her eyes go wide at my presence before a smile spreads across her face.

I am going to regret finding her first. She bolts forward arms spread in a lunge. Instant regret initiated.

"You're alive!" She cries as I am tackled to the ground, "I knew you could do it!"

I push her off only for her to hop right up grabbing my hand to use my upward momentum to pull me upright.

"Sooooo," She beams flashing a broad smile with a missing lower incisor. _I blame barbaric dentistry._ "How many bandits did you get," Caeda continues.

Her question startles me, "Why would anyone be interested in death?

"Duh!" She mocks, "Because everyone wants to hear about a hero and his adventures."

I squint at her. _Okay I never noticed before, but I am beginning to think my first rescue made her look up to me as her hero. I guess everyone needs a hero even if he is a killer_. She notices my narrowed stare and starts to blush. _I guess I must be pretty intimidating if she thinks I am hero material_.

"Look killing people isn't a good thing," I try to correct her, "I don't feel… well after doing it and I only do it because I feel like I need to help people and this instinct also pressures me to."

"Well if there weren't people to kill the bandits, pretty much every decent person would be dead," She starts to get annoyed by my statement, "If people didn't kill the bandits before they hurt more people I, mom and dad would have died a long time ago."

I ready my thoughts to push the point but then I realize something. _She has a point and if she has been exposed to near death experiences like this before, as well as others have been, then this may be a natural thought amongst the natives._ I notice I referred to everyone in this land as natives so I must be from elsewhere.

"Anyyywaaaaay," Caeda realizes I had stopped paying attention, "It's time to meet up with my dad."

She grabs my hand and leads me through the trees towards a ruined fort I barely noticed. I gather my bearings and try to figure out the direction from the setting sun. _Okay we are heading a little northwest from the road._

We soon come across an abandoned fort. We pass through the large doorway past a decaying door leaning crookedly on its remaining hinge. I meet Anders and Maydis in the large hallway as they are unloading some supplies from the wagon.

"Good you're back," Anders acknowledges my presence, "Help me with unloading some of the camping equipment."

I stood there staring for a bit. _I just attempted to take on a bandit clan by myself, though with unexpected help from those warriors and a cleric, and he does not even bat an eye at my arrival_.

"If you want me to give you a pat on a back for basically forcing me to fulfill whatever dreams of glory and battle you are not worth the ink on your contract. If you want my approval help with the unloading."

 _Ouch_. He has a point, so I try to control my anger at the blunt statement. I start unloading some blankets and vulneraries. _I guess he plans to take stock of his supplies while we are resting._

It does not take long to finish unloading and creating a small fireplace for the wood Caeda had collected before my arrival, she did drop what she collected and rushed back to the fort.

I check my surroundings a bit wary of the wisdom in making an indoor fire, but the ceiling and braces were high enough that it would not catch on fire and there was a window at the back of the hall. _Scratching death by smoke inhalation off my worry list._ I noticed the merchants were settling around the small campfire. I thought about joining them but decided to go outside and explore the surrounding area.

"What do you know about wildlife?"

The question from Caeda surpises me as I turn around and see her facing away from me and the door.

"How did you know I was going out?" I was genuinely surprised at the observation.

"No doors opened, and I am pretty sure I would have noticed you walking towards us." She was quite calm compared to her usual hyperactivity. I look around and notice the only other exits were three nearby rotten doors and a staircase in her line of sight. "So, you know anything about bears?" she continues.

"Uhhh no?" I replied walking to the fire and sitting between her and Anders.

"Well you go out there and you will probably learn quite a bit if you don't mind becoming a smear that Daddy will sell as a souvenir of a fool's folly."

 _That was… quite morbid. If all the people in Ylisse treat death this bluntly, I am not looking forward to having a conversation with an actual soldier._ "So, to simply state what you said," I put my hands together and aim the finger towards her, "Don't go out there because its too dangerous."

"Yep."

"Then why were you out there?"

"Caught my first bear when I was nine. I have nothing to worry about"

"Then why can't I, the hired mercenary, go out there if a scrawny nine-year-old you could take on a bear?"

She stiffens and starts glaring at me. _Oh crud._ The glare disappears replaced by a malicious smile to rival her father's. "Because my adorableness is too much for the mighty bear," Caeda's voice drips with derision, "they just fall down kissing my feet before asking for the honor of me ending their lives. Whereas you're so ugly a bear would mistake you for a boar's ass and think you would make a delicious meal."

 _Well… that just happened. Better hope I can come up with something to defuse this or she will likely be mad at me for the rest of the journey._ "Well I guess it would be pretty boar-ing to see me fight, almost un-bear-able."

Her eyes go wide making me believe I made things worse. The corners of her mouth start twitching, while Maydis, who was previously glaring at me for my insult, was outright chuckling. Anders groaned to my left leaving me to wonder what was so horrible before Maydis replied. "You're right on that part, drake, and I am all for you making an ass of yourself but we already have two horses."

Oh. OH YES! "Well if you feel that way I guess I should stop horsing around." Caeda is giggling out loud holding her sides and Anders is burying his face in his hands.

"Perhaps we can finish this discussion later when my father is not feeling very vulnerary-ble," Caeda finishes with a shake of one of her jars. We sit there for awhile laughing our asses off. After some time, Anders leaves in annoyance at our humor to finish his checklist of stores.

I stretch my legs and stare out the distant doorway. I notice the light outside fading, so I decide to at least explore the rest of the fort. I uncross my legs and struggle to get up from my rest. "Sole room on the left side of the hall is yours, mine and my wife's is across yours and Caeda's is across the stairs," Anders shouts at me while marking things on his papers. I wave at him in acknowledgment as I make my way towards the stairs.

The upstairs was rather sparse with eight rooms lined the hallway with another set of stairs at its end. I explore each room to find rotten bunks, shelves and chests. In the second to last room I find a mostly intact chest at the base of a bedpost. _No idea where the rest of the bed went_.

I open the wooden chest only for its hinges to snap off. _They weren't that rusty…_ Inside I find a book, a cracked bronze bow with some arrows, five gold pieces, a hairband… with metal feathers. I sit on the edge of the chest, after cleaning the book cover I see the faded title. _A Tale of Feathers, Arrows and Love_. Inside is a doodle of a young girl wearing what seems to be the same hairband and above that in different ink a faded message. "Loren here's… boo… talking about. I hope… see you again…stay sa… damn Gri… love… ila." _Guess this belonged to a friend of the girl in the picture. Again, just a guess_.

I grab the still strung bow and give it a pull. The wood creaks and the string feels unreliable but I guess I will hold onto it. _It feels like a power is in it_. I notice some carving in the wood, but I have yet to learn how to read from Caeda. I put the hairband and book on the rim of the chest before pocketing the gold pieces and tighten the belt and the attached quiver to my hip. _I have been lucky so far but I am not risking close encounters all the time._ I leave the room with the bow, planning to come back later for the rest of my find.

I check the last room only for it to be an empty armory with some leather straps on empty boxes and empty metal stands. I make my way upstairs and push open a surprisingly intact door to the top of the fort. Not much in the way of safety except for low and high faded brown stone blocks acting as a makeshift wall along the edge. If there was something here I would barely notice it in the growing darkness.

I look out towards the forest catching a brief glimpse in the distance of something large romping through the woods followed by smaller shiny objects reflected by the moonlight. I guess some hunters are going after the bear Caeda mentioned. Having my fill of sightseeing I make my way back downstairs only stopping to pick up the loot I found.

"Well do I get to see what you found?" Caeda appears from behind the stair opening. I yelp dropping the band, book and bow. I trip backwards cracking my head against the steps.

"Cruuuuuuuuuuuuud," I groan reaching behind my head to the wounded spot. My hand comes back bloody.

"Ohhhhh that has to hurt," The Greenette winces. She runs back across the hallway to her room leaving me to nurse my wound. Less than a minute later she returns with a clay jar. "Here this should help," I reach for the offered medicine, "If I get to see what you have," she pulls back the jar. Sighing I nod and she passes the vulnerary to my outstretched hand. I gulp down the entire contents of the jar.

"Don't drink it all!" She shouts at my action. Shocked I drop the vessel causing it to shatter and hold my hand to my chest waiting for something bad to happen. Waiting. Waiting. Caeda looks at me with a look crossed between fear, curiosity and disgust. "You're fine?"

I take a mental check. _Stomach fine. Lungs fine. Throat fine._ "Yeah I am fine, even the head wound," I say as I reach around the rub the bloodied hair around the wound, which had sealed.

"O-kay then," She starts to walk away, "You should probably clean that wound… and the shards!" She quickly shouted the last part dashing to her room.

"Wait you're the one that sca…" _And she is already in the room. At least she is not going to bother me about my loot._ I look down only to see my newfound bow and few arrows remaining. _That little thief when did she even have time to grab them!_ Grumbling I collect the clay shards nicking my fingers several times and plan to retrieve my discoveries in the morning _._ What I would give to be able to control the transformation. Not knowing what to do with the remains I just discard them in a corner. Small mental twitch from that but I am not in the mood to look for a place to dispose of the trash.

I make my way to the merchants to find something to clean my wound and a leather strap to tie the bow to my belt then head to my designated room. Apparently, it used to be the kitchen of the fort some slightly rusted pots and pans hang on the walls and a fire place lies on the far wall. I turn around gathering some branches and a lit stick from the main hall before returning. I toss the wood in the firepit and toss the branch in. _This better light because I would not trust my memory on lighting fires._ A few thoughts flash of a house burning down and a punch to the jaw. I rub my jaw, "Crud that felt real." I move the thin blanket near the fireplace and sit cross-legged on the blanket warming myself.

 _If I can almost remember my past then how come I don't know more about myself?_

 **Insight.** _Not helpful._ **You need to use Insight.** Stop being useless. **It's the only… way to see.** _Fine how do I use insight? Wait you are talking to me?_ **Just…focus… I think...**

"Okay then," I say aloud. I stop all movement and thoughts. _Insight_

A quick burst of information and I lose control. _Crud Focus! Insight._

The information comes and I stay focused this time.

 **Claudius: Enforcer**

 **The designated officer to enforce the laws of the land. Sole purpose is to uphold the law and protect the people at all costs.**

 **Attribute rating:**

 **Health|24**

 **Physical strength|6**

 **Magical mastery|5**

 **Skill|7**

 **Speed|6**

 **Influence|6**

 **Physical Defense|9**

 **Magical Resistance|-7**

 **Learned Skills:**

 **Executioner| You have been given permission to hunt down criminals. The likelihood of doing lethal or crippling damage to a criminal is increased by ten percent. If ordered to execute a criminal the likelihood is increased by thirty percent. You cannot kill an enemy unless ordered. You cannot kill or harm a civilian. Do not break the last Rules.**

 **Forgotten Mastery| The knowledge of the past is just out of your grasp. Weapon skills increase twice as fast. You can learn other skills from other people along with discovering unusual or forgotten skills through experimentation. If the wielder of the skill undergoes slight or extreme trauma all newly learned skills are forgotten. The skills forgotten from trauma can be relearned slowly from outside influences.**

I try to understand this information, but besides basics like strength equals how strong I am, I am not getting anything else from these tiers. _Why is my… resistance? My magical resistance so low?_ No response.

"Hey talk to me!" I shout into the air. I hear some scraping and a bang behind me and I look around, but the only thing I notice is the closed door and some swinging pans near it. _Probably Caeda trying to mess with me again._ I sigh. _And I guess an explanation for those ratings and the skills aren't coming._

I roll onto my back on the blanket to stare at the cracking wooden timber of the ceiling. _I should probably go to sleep now._ I stare some more at the ceiling. Really wish… I had that… book, arrows and flying or something. I stare a little longer before sleep claims me.

* * *

 **Later Claudius POV**

I wake up suddenly a cold tingling down my spine and a burning sensation over my right eye. I jerk up to a sitting position and blink trying to get rid of the irritation. I look around the room a soft glow illuminating the floors and cupboards. The glow was giving me a headache and the surroundings were kind of wavy. _What is with the fire…_ I look towards the fire only to see it extinguished. _What? What is happening._ As I am squinting I notice something. I close my right eye and the room is in darkness. I open my right eye and close the left and the room has a slight glowing haze. Both open and a disconcerting wavy effect. _Sadly, not the weirdest thing to happen._

I still feel the subtle cold sensation creeping along my back and an overwhelming urge to look around. Conflicting thoughts of how this is a bad idea and no good comes from following the creepy feeling echo in my mind. Regardless of mental warnings I slowly stand up my joints feeling a little tired from lack of rest. _Hope I don't get sick from my little swim._

I make my way out the kitchen and past the horses and a sleeping Maydis in the wagon. _Awww someone doesn't trust me. Then again, I am sneaking out._ I shrug and continue my journey through the doorway.

After wandering the woods for a while, I hear footsteps and decide to follow them. I silently walk a short distance from the two figures as they enter a clearing. The cold feeling seems to have grown stronger here and is increasing. I leave the tree I was hiding behind and approach the darkened people.

As I approach I here a feminine voice talking. "…And quiet. Where did the birds go?" A familiar voice asks.

"So you're behind this feeling," I growl out at Lissa and Robin.

"Ahhh!" Lissa shrieks and then collects herself, "Oh thank goodness it's you." "What no we aren't behind this!" the bluenette claims reaching for his sword as the feeling increases, "Something is wrong here are you a part of it?"

Before I can reply the ground beneath us shakes nearly knocking us to the ground.

"Ahhhh Chrom!" the blonde shouts out though I have yet to see the cloaked figure.

"Gods, what-" the tactician stammers out, "Agh! What is this madness?! Lissa stay close!" he pulls her into a hug steadying the shaking girl. I turn around trying to get my bearings and discover what is causing the shaking.

In the distance I hear rustling leaves and cracking branches followed by a crashing sound. I turn and see massive trees falling to the ground and the wave approaching us.

"Lissa run," the swordsman stated.

"Huh?"

"I mean it go!"

The cleric runs past me as I stand shocked at the destruction before me. Robin rushes past as I realize following them may mean survival. I turn as I notice a section of the ground rising. I briefly catch up to the tactician as this indescribable sound echoes behind us and the dark night is lit up orange. I keep running sometimes tripping on roots but not falling, falling would be death. Masses of fire rain down from the sky causing more hazards to avoid as the forest swiftly burned. Robin quickly caught up to Lissa only for the two to start going separate directions. "This way!" the bluenette shouts causing the cleric to turn and run into me. Barely a second passes and we recover as I pull her along behind me following the tactician. I almost run straight into a fiery puddle but Lissa jerks me to the left away from the blaze. We almost reach the ledge Robin just leapt off when a burst of instinct urges me to pull Lissa in front of me and push her over. Lissa gives a quick scream as she tumbles over and I lunge from the spot only for one of the flying fireballs to land where we would have been.

After I and Lissa recovered we soon enter a mostly unscathed section of the forest a moment after Robin. The tactician is observing the inferno from our clearing as Lissa catches her breath and I examine a burn from that last fire on my left leg. _Crud that is not going to help if things gets worse._ I can put pressure on the leg but moving it stretches the burned area making it harder for me to focus. _Good thing my running skills were on fire or else my leg would be a drumstick or worse._ I turn towards the cleric but she glances up and then points at the sky.

"Chrom what is that? Lissa asks. A quick look around for the robed figure and I notice the distortion in the sky. A glowing orb with smaller orbs being sucked into it appears. The orb explodes causing a blurry shockwave, and lines and circles appear in a larger empty circle around the area of the just destroyed orb. Small squares in the circular rim have some script I partially recognize. A crystal line appears in the middle of the circle parallel to the ground before it opens like an eye with a full blue circle, crystal lining, and a dark spot in the middle. I feel the transformation coming on. **Murderous scum! Not fit to rule! False god!** I feel anger from within and darkness from the eye.

I wasn't prepared for the "eye" to ripple and two figures drop out releasing large moans as they surfaced and fell. The figures right themselves and a dull pink glow comes from the eyes of the shaded figures.

"Lissa better stay back," Robin readies his strange blade that I noticed had a gold lined middle and the actual blade molded around the gold at the hilt which itself was missing a center in a teardrop design. "That is the stupidest looking sword I have seen so far," I growl out spreading my recently formed claws and feel a greater surge of strength than before. I could have used the bow but better stick with what I know. The man shrugs my reply off and gets into a stance as three more fall to our right and even more elsewhere in the forest.

The figures approach the distant fires illuminating their bodies. They have a grayish purple skin and cracked masks over their faces. Purple smoke pours out of their masks and mores so as they give a bloodcurdling shout or moan. Thankfully they barely have armor so my claws should shred them easily. The figures charge at us with surprising speed though at an unbalanced run. Robin dashes forward his sword slicing through the left one as I dodge grabbing the axe with my left claw and stabbing the man through the chest with my right. I am surprised as the figure holds my gaze and then I realize no blood is seeping onto my claw. Robin gasps behind me as I hear a cracking sound and a clang as his opponents axe meets his blade. My enemy swings his free hand at me knocking me away but I used the spin to swing around and grabb with my left hand his head.

" **FIGHT ME YOU FELL FIEND!"** my voice yells out without my control. I yank my claw hand to the ground causing the creature to snap with the movement and finally die as I plunge my free hand in its torso again.

I hear Robin land from his leap skewering his opponent as my enemy turns to smoke followed by his. We turn towards each other but are interrupted by groans from behind me. Robin lunges forward engaging a creature that was approaching me. I turn looking for an opponent and find one stumbling its way towards Lissa. I intercept the creature not holding back on the monster. This one fell faster since I now know they need more damage to die. I coughed something into my hand from the effort and notice two things. One my right claw was larger and sharper with the scales extending past the elbow into the tunic. The second was that when I coughed I splattered my hand with blood and some was still in my mouth. "Ahh!" the pain from the further transformation hits me and I finally notice the tearing feeling in my muscles and chest.

I would have sat down to recover but Lissa cries out in the distance. _No! I forgot the third one!_ The monster towers over the small cleric cornered by a rock as she shakily raises the staff in front of her to block the blow. I hear a thump and another figure appears before dashing towards to the cleric followed by Robin racing past me. I give chase behind them as the creature starts to bring down its axe on its victim. Lissa turns away from her killer with a gasp, but the axe is intercepted by the sword of the new figure. Robin stops in shock, Lissa takes a quick breath at seeing her new hero, and I continue running past the startled tactician.

"Help!" the masked man groans under the axe's weight. I am quickly behind the monster dig my claws into its back and trying to lift it away. Note giant claws does not mean I can lift a three-hundred-pound plus creature. I manage to jerk it to ground at least as Chrom comes behind me to finish the job.

The eye had disappeared and my transformation with it. I lower myself unto the ground as Lissa and Chrom stare at the masked blue clad man. _What happened to me_. I groan as I try to focus. _Insight_. I look for my health hoping to find a clue.

 **Health| 9/24 dropping.**

"Crud this hurts." Lissa notices my pain and rushes over with the staff.

"Ahhhhh!" I shout out coughing more blood and try to check my health.

 **Health| 5/24 stable.**

"Don't worry I am going slower this time," Lissa assures me, a softer glow flowing from the staff.

 **Health| 6/24**

 **Health| 8/24**

My health continues to rise when we are interrupted by Frederick and a cloaked figure, Chrom, rushing through the trees.

"Milord! Milady! Are you hurt?" The knight stops the horse in front of us right before it crushes my hand. _Wow even the horse hates me._ Frederick moves his worried gaze from Lissa and Robin to me. An instant scowl crosses his face. "I should have expected you were behind this, Monster!" he levels the lance toward me again.

"Stop threatening my patients!" Lissa shouts at the knight and tries to whack the lance away with her staff only for her staff to bounce off.

With this discussion going on I can't tell what the blue-haired tactician and the cloaked lord are discussing.

"At least no one is injured," Frederick states. I give him a scowl that he ignores. _Insight_.

 **Health|15/24**

 _Yeah no one is injured…_

"Thank the masked man who saved me!" _Didn't I help?_ "If it wasn't for him I'd be… Hey! Where did he go?" the blond looks around as I do the same. The blue figure is gone from the area, presumably to fight the rest of these monsters. _What else is there to do…NO!_

I jump up. "Lord Chrom!" I shout causing both he and the bluenette to turn, "I have to find my employer!"

"What!" A soft voice exclaims. "Then we need to make our way towards them!" Robin shouts as he readies the unusual blade, probably planning their attack.

I mentally run through my head trying to figure the direction of the fort. We are by two forts but I am certain that Anders and the rest were towards the direction I ran from.

"I think they are in a fort to the north-west."

"I saw most of these creatures fall to the south," the lord starts, "If you can use that bow then you try to skirt around the enemy forces and make your way there. Frederick will draw out most of the western enemies leaving the way clear."

 _Wait I still have the bow._ I pat my left and right side to feel the strapped bow and arrows. _Better have it ready since my transformation isn't sticking_. _Why does this man even need a tactician if he can come up with plans already?_

"The rest of us will fight the rest of the forces, and I think the warrior we just met was heading north so he may be able to help you," Robin finishes.

 _Okay that was a pretty decent suggestion from the bluenette._ I nod and give a quick bow towards the cloaked lord. "Thank you Lord Chrom." Chrom and Robin both stiffen but I turn and rush towards my charges bow at the ready.

* * *

 **Shepherd's POV**

"Wait… did he just call you?" Chrom starts.

"Lissa why does your new friend think I am your brother?" Robin questions the confused cleric

"I don't know I introduced Chrom as my brother and you as a tactician, but…" Lissa pauses, "Ohhhh I didn't tell him who was who. Well this is going to be fun." Lissa adopts a mischievous smile at the thought.

"I see where this is going," Chrom returns the smile, "But we should probably finish of these creatures before we do that."

Robin stares at the two siblings wondering what they have planned before remembering they were in a battlefield and went back to planning.

Lissa thinks for a bit as her two-time savior's steps echo in the distance. "Aghhh!" She screams, "I still don't know his name!"

* * *

 **Claudius POV**

Only a minute from the group and I run across a monster. I take some steps to the side hoping for the transformation to trigger but nothing happens. In the time wasted the undead creature notices me and utters a groan before running towards me. "Oh crud!" I pull the bow out and notch an arrow. A quick pull and release and the arrow flys. _Wait I wasn't ready!_ The arrow still hits its target in the shoulder causing the creature to tumble before rising again.

My trembling fingers grasp for another arrow. The rushing figure is only a few feet away as I pull back the arrow in the bow. "Take that brain-dead!" I shout releasing the arrow only for it to skim the axe man's torso.

 _Well I am dead._ I take a few steps back as the brainless creature stumbles into me. I am pinned on the ground as the creature claws on top of me trying to right itself. Its smoky breath breathes into my face as I struggle to keep an arm and head away from me. I feel a tingling sensation in my hand on its head and see a flicker in the light behind its mask. "Die…GRAAHH…bandARGHHH" it moans.

I see a flash of metal and the creature dissolves into smoke on top of me. I cough out the smoke and unconsciously rub myself down of non-existent debris. Standing over me is Lissa's masked savior. He has blue hair similar to Robin's, a blue tunic that lifts out at the bottom, fingerless gloves, thigh-high boots with turned out tops, darker blue vertically line leggings with the same material over his arms and small pauldrons on the shoulders. To complete his look, he has a red clasp keeping his blue cape on along with a mask that… looks like a butterfly with thin horizontal lines it a golden hairband and a regular and diagonal belt that appears to hold his sword. A sword that looks very ridiculous.

"If this is the idea of high quality swords in the land, I need to talk to your smiths," I manage to say as I start to stand up.

The man grimaces, sword moves to his side, as he angles the blade away from me. He starts to tense as if he was going to run off again.

"Wait!" I shout at him causing him to halt, "Robin and Chrom said you could help me defend the merchants I was with."

The hesitancy in the swordsman strengthens when I mentioned Chrom's name, but he nods at me in agreement and stares at me. _Oh, I guess he is waiting for me to show him the way._

"It's this way," I say, dashing in the estimated direction of the fort. Thankfully the echoing footsteps of the swordsman accompany mine. We don't come across additional resistance on our way there as Chrom expected, but when we arrive at the fort we meet additional opposition in the form of an archer and swordcorpse moving towards the entrance. I get off a shot on the sword wielding creature sticking an arrow in its leg as my companion dashes towards the archer bisecting it with his blade. The swordcorpse, need a better name for these things, is still reeling as my new friend decapitates the creature turning it to mist.

I take a brief glimpse of the building. It seems to have been scoured by the fireballs and the illumination of the nearby molten river reveals uncountable cracks throughout the fortress's walls. _Hopefully the inside is intact._

I draw my bow as the masked warrior aims his sword at the opening. The previous half door at the entrance is now lying on the ground in chunks of wood. I see the wagon with one of the horses mauled a few paces away and broken vulneraries and scattered weapons across the floor. The kitchen is still open and the other doors are closed telling me Caeda, Anders and Maydis are upstairs.

I gesture towards the stairway prompting the swordsman to move upstairs. We slowly make our way to the next level as I do a quick check behind us. We reach the second floor and spot some of the monsters crowding the last room leading the way to the roof.

My companion flourishes his sword and sprints forward with the sword trailing behind him. He makes it past two rooms and I one before he is ambushed by an undead from one of the rooms. The creature knocks him to the ground and grapples with the man. The sword was knocked toward me so I pick it up and swing it at the assailant. I knock the creature off, but the sword only impacts against it. The creature loosens the mask on my companion and as he rolls away it falls to the ground. Confused at the weakness of my weapon I grab one of my arrows and send an upward stab through the chin finally turning the creature to smoke.

A gasp behind me and I see the warrior scrabbling for his mask. I notice surprisingly feminine features and medium length hair. He quickly puts on the mask and partially ties the hair back before lunging towards me. "What are you doing!" I shout as the man steals his blade back from me and aims a swipe near my head. I duck and hear a groan. Turns out the other brain-deads snuck up on me and the warrior decapitated one with the dull blade. I flick an arrow out from the quiver causing it to slightly penetrate the second one in the hand. Just enough for the swordsman to knock away its axe and slash its chest.

A quick look around reveals no more creatures are on the level. "Let's proceed slowly this time?" I ask the swordsman gaining a slight blush from his foolishness. The man nods and we check the rooms we pass before reaching the stairs. I attempt to push open the upper door only for it to be blocked.

"Damn! They're back." I think that was Maydis.

"Maydis it's me!" I shout through the door. Silence is my reply until.

"Better bring one of the stone blocks!" she shouts to the rest of her family.

I lay my head against the door and groan. Out of the corner of my eye I can see the swordsman mouth open in a confused expression. My annoyance is interrupted by a scraping sound and the door opening. Simply put I fell face first.

"Yes, money well spent my love," Maydis commented to her husband as she held the door open.

"Don't give him any ideas he must not know I have fallen for you I smile from the ground." Hopefully what I learned last, or was it this, night helps.

"I say the jokes are worth it though they fall flat," Caeda appears finishing the joke.

Maydis tries to hold back a smile and responds, "Well it would help if he stayed with us."

"He was busy fighting the creatures," my bluenette companion finally speaks helping me up from the ground.

"Well that is fine but what will do now?" Anders walks from the right of the door opening a lance in his hand.

I think for a moment. "I guess we wait here until Chrom and his group finish off the rest of these brain-dead monsters." At the statement I notice a quick tension in Anders and the swordsman's stance, Anders at Chrom and the bluenette at brain-dead, but it passes.

"Besides this man here," I step out of the way and point, "Seems to be a better help in defending than I am right now."

"Wait," Anders face tightens in confusion, "How can this swordsman stand against your deadly claws."

I can almost see the bluenette raise an eyebrow. _Didn't he see… oh wait his back was to me when he appeared and until it wore off._ "Well I can't seem to transform when fighting these creatures."

Anders thinks on this for a moment, I can almost see the merchant scheming, before replying. "Okay then. Our blue rescuer will you please guard us while my mercenary goes to represent my interests in protecting the prince?" _Oh crud he is a prince._

At his words the swordsman looks to me, the merchant and back to me before nodding. _Not much of a talker._ I give a quick check of my arrows only to notice two left.

"Sir, do you happen to have any more arrows left?"

He notices my dwindling supply and gives a sympathetic shrug while nervously twisting his hands. "I hope you can use some of the weapons downstairs since the few lances we brought up here will be used to barricade the door again." He gives a gesture to the lances that must have been used to block the door earlier.

I groan. The reach of a lance could have been useful. Instead of arguing I hurry down the stairs. I stop at the pile by the scattered pile and try to find a weapon I can use. Most of these are iron swords and axes with one sword that has a jagged edge, all feel a little uncomfortable in my grip. I find a copper axe that a quick swing feels right in my hands. I strap my bow at the hip before heading out the fort.

I run south through the woods passing some rotting weapons. I notice metal spikes in the distance and recognize the annoying knight. I rush into the clearing and swing my axe at the nearest monster. First strike first kill. _Guess I am better with an axe_. **Not related… to massive sharp metal?** _Wait did the weird thoughts make a joke? And no response._

I notice the knight glaring at me as I stand over where I felled the monster.

"If you are done being distracted we must meet up with Lord Chrom," The knight guides the horse over to me and lowers his hand towards me. I stare at him earning another glare. "I have already wasted enough time away from milord so get on." I hesitate but accept his hand and get pulled behind him. _And I almost fell off the other side._

He gives the horse a slight kick and it races through the woods to the west. After a few minutes I meet the rest of the group along with two new members.

The first a red clad female rider with scruffy red hair wielding a lance. Seemed like most of her clothes were actually armor. Armored knee-length boots/leggings, armored elbow-length gloves, shields at the hips and full torso armor like one-piece swimwear all red, the only non-red items were some sort of white cloth draped from the mid chest down to her knees and a weird back helmet. _It's as if she were copying Frederick but with less armor._

The second a gray-blue long-haired man wielding a bow. He had knee-high brown boots held up with straps by a belt on his waist. Blue pants and a gray tunic. A white handkerchief at his neck and a white frilled undershirt. The main difference was his left armored and gloved hand he used to hold his bow.

"The Hell is this guy?" the redhead announces at my approach.

"Language my friend you have company," I cringe at her statement.

"I'll say whatever the Hell I want and nothing your polite sorry ass can do about it!" She shouts back and raises the lance towards me. _Why did I even want a lance, they keep getting pointed at me_

"Hold Sully," Robin interrupts, "This man saved Lissa's life on two occasions."

I prepare a response for the horsewoman, but I am interrupted by said cleric. "Tell me your name! Now!"

Taken aback I dismount before replying. "According to my employer my name is now Claudius."

"Would the new name have anything to do with your memory problems?" the cloaked lord approaches.

"In a way, Lord Chrom," I bow and continue, "My memories are a little jumbled and instead of one name I seem to have many, none of which seem to have any importance behind." _I hope my manner of speaking was appropriate enough._

"But I am not…" Chrom begins.

"So, you have multiple aliases," Frederick interrupts, "You are even more suspicious then our new tactican."

"I was hoping I was warming up to you Frederick," the bluenette responds confusing the knight.

"I am afraid I am unaware of what is currently happening," the archer adds, "Perhaps someone would explain why your names are…"

"Shut up Ruffles this is getting good," Sully aims a kick at Ruffles and he dodges muttering how graceful the woman's kicks were.

"Anyways I am glad that you were willing to take on most of the forces and send your knight to clear up most of the nearby undead to protect my employers."

"Look these people aren't my…" the lord begins.

"Yep 'Chrom' is a pretty good leader isn't he," Lissa interrupts her brother.

"Of course, he is," I remember back to his planning session, "Though I have to wonder why you even need Robin with your tactical skills."

Robin opens his mouth to defend himself.

"I AM ROBIN!" the lord pulls back his hood and. _Oh crud._

I notice the person for the first time. With the cloak parted I notice the person wearing a sort of white vertical striped corset, a large buckle with two belts, a black skirt, large white puffy pants short brown boots, lastly her platinum hair was in long twin tails. _Yes her_. Lord Chrom was a woman. I could tell easily now from her face and (cough) body shape which was definitely not male.

"Lady Chrom…I … I mean Robin I am sorry for insulting your family especially with your sister here."

She points her left hand towards Lissa, "I am not her sister," she points her right towards the bluenette, "He is her brother, Chrom," she brings both hands towards herself, "And I am Robin his tactician."

Shocked I look at the noted individuals only to see the actual Chrom and Lissa laughing. Sully is bellowing out a laugh and Ruffles is nervously chuckling.

"I am sorry for my lieges' behavior."

I turn around and look up at Frederick, "While you are quite suspicious the fact you do not recognize Chrom from a random stranger we found is telling of your intentions." _Great I made enough of a fool of my self that the jerk is pitying me._

"Archer could you please tell me your name before worse happens?" I ask the frilled man.

"Of course I am Virion the archest of…"

Meanwhile Lissa is doubled over clutching her stomach tears flowing when she looks up and jerks straight. "He's back!" The shout interrupts the archer's introduction.

"It would appear that all the creatures must be vanquished," Frederick address my blue friend's return, "This young man took care of the others." _Didn't I help, and you took out what twenty?_

The man silently stares at our group.

"Um, I never got to thank you… for before. So…thank you. You were very brave." _Is Lissa… oh wait the princess falling in love with her rescuer, classic. Probably wouldn't have recognized that if it wasn't a trope… what is a trope anyways?_

"You saved my sister's life," the real Chrom steps forward, "My name is Chrom. May I ask yours?"

"Oh, sure give him your real name."

The stoic face behind the mask slips a little in confusion. It rises again and he replies, "You may call me Marth."

"Marth? After the heroic king of old?" Chrom asks.

"Lover of Pegasus riders?" I add earning weird looks from Marth and the others, "What? that is pretty much all I know about him from my friend." One of the few things I got from Caeda is that her namesake was a pegasus knight who married Marth.

"Ummm," Chrom continues after the awkwardness, "You certainly fight like a hero. Where did you learn your way with a sword?"

"I'm not here to talk about me," the man's voice attempts to dip deeper, "This world teeters at the brink of a horrible calamity." At our shocked looks he continues. "What you saw tonight was but a prelude." The swordsman turns around, "You have been warned." He walks off into the woods.

Lissa jumps back as the words hit her. "Huh? What's teetering where now? Hey wait!" she shouts into the forest.

"Not much for conversation, is he?" Robin comments.

"Yeah I only got a few words from him earlier," I add to that.

"It appears his skill lies elsewhere. I wager we will hear his name again… But for now I am concerned about the capital. We should make haste." Frederick ends the topic.

"You do that I need to meet up with my employer and get out of here," I move away from the group.

"Wait we need to talk to you about your memory problems," Lissa grabs my hand trying to pull me back.

"Why? Not like it is important to you."

Lissa sulks, "Well you're pretty important to us, and we need your help with Robin's amnesia." Robin nods.

"I feel for Robin's plight but with the threat gone and Marth having left the merchants I need to return."

Lissa still pouts but lowers her hands.

"I hope to meet you again in the future if I stop by the capital."

"And a spot in the Shepherds will be open for you if you do," Chrom adds.

"I like animals, but I don't think I would like sheep very much." Chrom chuckles at that and I put two and two together. _Ah so that is what the group is called._ I let out a smile to show I realize the joke and then walk off into the woods.

* * *

 **Shepherd's POV**

"At least I got his name this time!" Lissa regains her happy disposition and raises her staff in the air.

"I would like it if you at least involve me in your planning if you are going to add me to your pranks in the future." Robin adds as they return to the road, "And we won't be getting any more sleep with the sun rising."

"What!" the blonde shouts out and glances at the sky, "Noooooo!"

Robin smirks at her tantrum and leaves her behind.

 _Just you wait Robin. I will get you back for this, maybe some frogs will do it_. Lissa then thinks about the surprise in the capital. _Emmeryn will be a great surprise too._ Too anyone else Lissa was smiling at the joys of the world but inside she was smiling at her terrible plots.

* * *

 **Claudius POV**

I only walk through the wood when I hear some crying in the woods. I approach a tree and notice some of Marth's clothes sticking out.

"Father I will… I will not fail you." Marth cries from behind the tree.

"Marth you there?" I call out hoping not to intrude.

I hear a gasp and Marth jumps up fumbling with his mask but stops upon spying me. He lowers the mask to his side. "Ah, it's you," he adds calmly in a lighter voice, "Thank you for not revealing what you found out earlier."

The thought strikes me too late. "Wait… Argh!" I shout causing Marth to jump back, "Two for two on thinking a girl is a guy!"

"Wa… wait you didn't notice earlier," she blushes realizing her mistake.

"I mean I noticed when your mask fell off but I just thought you were a feminine looking boy."

"Oh…"

"Wait," I think, "was that archer a woman?"

Marth stares at me, "No he is not."

"Thank God for small blessings,"

"gods"

"Eh," I grunt.

"Well… here there are gods," she nervously adds.

Doesn't sound right but I nod noting it down. _Polytheism here got it._

I remember my goal again, "Are the merchants safe?"

"Yes I cleared out the area and they locked down the fort. They will open again when you or I return." She puts the mask on adjusting it and tucking her hair behind it or in the band.

"Thanks for your help, and I don't know why you feel like hiding behind a mask when your eyes and hair are pretty nice."

"I do this because I must," she adds with stoic deep voice on. She starts to walk away from me.

"Wait!" I call out causing her to stop in place, "I don't know why you are trying to hide, but according to Anders the best way to travel is with merchants. You may learn something and they are already grateful."

I sense some hesitation from her before she turns around. "Very well. If the merchants will accept my company but I must request that we do not stop in Ylisstol and head towards Ferox if possible."

"I don't know what direction either of those are in, but I am sure they can come to an agreement." I raise my right hand to her. She stares at the offered hand before giving it a rough shake.

"We better head back to the fort so you can meet your 'wife' she is probably missing you" I joke only to get a confused look from her.

 _Wait… insight._

 **4 new power levels**

 **Claudius: Enforcer**

 **The designated officer to enforce the laws of the land. Sole purpose is to uphold the law and protect the people at all costs.**

 **Attribute rating:**

 **Health|24+2 26**

 **Physical strength|6+2 8**

 **Magical mastery|5+1 6**

 **Skill|7+2 9**

 **Speed|6+2 8**

 **Influence|6+4 10**

 **Physical Defense|9+4 13**

 **Magical Resistance|-7 -1 -8**

 **Learned Skills:**

 **Executioner| You have been given permission to hunt down criminals. The likelihood of doing lethal or crippling damage to a criminal is increased by ten percent. If ordered to execute a criminal the likelihood is increased by thirty percent. You cannot kill an enemy unless ordered. You cannot kill or harm a civilian. Do not break the last Rules.**

 **Forgotten Mastery| The knowledge of the past is just out of your grasp. Weapon skills increase twice as fast. You can learn other skills from other people along with discovering unusual or forgotten skills through experimentation. If the wielder of the skill undergoes slight or extreme trauma all newly learned skills are forgotten. The skills forgotten from trauma can be relearned slowly from outside influences.**

 **Fast friend| the wielder makes friends quickly to broaden his network of information. Important for the criminal looking to keep tabs on rivals or the law, or for the mercenary to keep his bonds with his friends**

 _Resistance is even worse now. Fast friend seems like it would be useful in the future, but if this was a past skill was I always a mercenary or a criminal? I doubt I was criminal if I am supposed to stop crime._ Another thought surfaces. _But whose laws am I enforcing?_

* * *

 ** _Void Notes:_**

 ** _Where's the boss? I don't know he said people were snooping on his plans. What how could they listen here? We are in the... Shutup! We don't know if they are still listening. Oh...Okay then. Do you think it has something to do with the last agent disappearing. I don't know, but they better find him soon or we're toast._**

 **Author Notes:**

 **So... how was it? R &R and PM with questions I use said forms to actually flesh out the story.**

 **Expect some OoC (did I get that right) from all children units because of their parents, including "Marth" If you want to guess PM me don't mention in a review. Side note I updated profile with some more pairings I am considering. Yes, Chrom is the main one since he has such "forced" pairings in game. Preferring to marry a random villager instead of someone he has know for years... yeah right just set it to SumiaxChrom since the game already pushes it.**

 **Got the stats out, anyways like no like? If you don't get me in touch with a stat generator and I will improve. I don't think the skills were too op since they are quite restrictive and with some banes added onto them. Yes he can not harm an innocent and that will come up quite often.**

 **Anyone notice I had Claud avoid the swords =)**

 **Also does anyone actually believe Marth would have kept up the charade in battle? I mean she tripped on a sword and had the mask cut off. Seriously.**

 **You see that portal. when it turns off you are stuck with puny weapons and you will cry like little baby. Okay then kills a zombie by stabbing it through head with an arrow. ...I hate you SI. I know**

 **other easter eggs included but no hand holding from me.**

 **Current supports**

 **Caeda C**

 **Marth C (guess when it was)**


End file.
